1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heterocyclic-coupled linear, branched, and/or cross-linked polymers of polyphenylene oxides which comprise polyfunctional heterocyclic radicals coupled with mono- and/or poly-phenoxy radicals derived from (a) polyphenylene oxides having an average hydroxyl group per molecule value greater than zero including 1.0 or less, and/or (b) quinone coupled polyphenylene oxide polymers having an average hydroxyl group per polymer molecule value greater than zero including 2.0 or less, and mixtures thereof.
In my copending U.S. application Ser. No. 800,635 new polyphenylene oxide-quinone coupled polymers having an average hydroxyl group per molecule value greater than zero including 2.0 or less are described. These new polymers either alone or in combination with polyphenylene oxides reaction products of the prior art, i.e., polyphenylene oxides having an average hydroxyl group per molecule value greater than zero including 1.0 or less, or combinations thereof can be coupled with heterocyclic radicals to form new linear, branched, and/or cross-linked polyphenylene oxide polymers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self-condensation reactions of certain phenols employing oxygen in combination with an effective oxidative coupling catalyst system to form prior art polyphenylene oxides, i.e., polyphenylene oxides having an average hydroxyl group per molecule of 1.0 or less, are described in various U.S. patent applications including Hay's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,879, 3,914,266, application Ser. No. 540,473, filed Jan. 13, 1975, a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 441,295, filed Feb. 11, 1974, now abandoned, and Olander's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,956,442; 3,965,069; 3,972,851 and Ser. No. 582,910, filed June 2, 1975.
Block polymers of prior art polyphenylene oxides employing simple bifunctional coupling compounds such as diacyl halides, diisocyanates, bis(haloaryl)sulfones are described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,793,564; 3,770,850 and 3,809,729.